Fantasy worlds come in many varieties, from the “hard core” medieval-simulation school to the more fanciful realms of high fantasy, with alabaster castles and jeweled gardens in the place of the more traditional muddy squalor. Despite their differences, these share a vital common element: ordinary people. Most realms, no matter how baroque or magical, can’t get by without a supply of ordinary farmers, merchants, quarreling princes and palace guards. Clustered into villages and crowding the cities, they provide the human backdrop for adventure.

Toward the end of more satisfying world-design, I’ve prepared this article, a distillation of broad possibilities drawn from several historical reference points, synthesized to a simple tool. Deviate from these guidelines as extremely as you need to; there’s no way to fantasize wrong ... But you may find, as I have, that what follows is a handy springboard from which to dive.